Archive for category Car Paint

Paint Job Estimate

Every so often, you need to get something done, but do not have the time for it. Getting your car painted could be one of those jobs. But wait… You need to have at least a rough idea about the cost, don’t you? After all, paint job prices generally mean good money and you wouldn’t want to get fleeced, right? Make sure you get an estimate from a reliable auto shop before you actually get down to sending your car in to get painted. Cost apart, a good auto shop will also do a good job with painting. Let’s face it, nobody likes their car looking ugly after getting so much work done on it?

How to Estimate a Paint Job
When and how do you know that you aren’t making a mistake?

First off, the paint job cost being suggested to you needs to sound realistic. Let’s not get carried away by thinking that a car paint job estimate is going to be chicken feed, but it definitely shouldn’t sound like it’s going overboard either. Once you’ve prepared yourself regarding the prices, you need to consider the kind of work that you are in fact getting done. Is it a repaint or is it a new construction? If it is a repaint, does it require the works or is it just a basic job? Believe me, these may sound like insignificant pointers, but mean a lot when figuring out the paint job estimate. Factors like material or area cost may be the same, but the newness or lack of it could add up to a good deal. Also bear in mind, the kind of car that is getting painted will also make a huge difference. The fancier the car, the more it’ll cost.

Secondly, take a good look at the auto shop, and the surroundings. If they seem the least bit suspicious, you might want to reconsider. When I use the word “suspicious”, here’s what I’m talking about… If the person you’re talking to wants to see your car without giving you the slightest inkling regarding prices, you can be almost sure that the rate is going to depend entirely on the kind of car you have, and that is something you definitely want to stay away from.

Thirdly, do not accept the offer of getting you car back from the shop in a couple of days. This is generally an indication that the shop indulges in bulk paint jobs, which in turn could mean lousy results. You do not want to be shelling out money for that.

Auto Paint Job Estimate
You can be almost certain that an estimate below $1000 for a complete paint job would quite possibly mean that you will receive a below mediocre job at that price. You’ll often hear these shop guys talk about painting your car for something like $250, but do not get fooled. By no means are you getting anything more than one new coat of paint over the old one. While an average range for a reasonably decent job is somewhere between $1000 to $5000, high-end work could even cost you something like $10,000. As incredulous as it may sound, it’ll be money well spent. Just make sure that you’re dealing with someone you trust.

While we are at it, we may as well look at figuring out estimates for a paint job for your home as well.

Home Paint Job Estimate
Seems doubtful that people wouldn’t know how to calculate an estimate for a paint job for their homes. But for those of you who are confused, let’s take a quick look at how it’s done. Rather evidently, the first thing that you need to be sure of is the area of the space that will be getting painted. Get started with measuring floor to ceiling height. On getting that done, measure the width of the walls and the ceiling, if that requires to get painted too. Next, you’d want to multiply the dimensions of the wall by the ceiling height. The result of this calculation when added to the area of the ceiling, will result in the area of your house / room. Based on all the calculations, figure out the amount of paint that would be required to cover the entire area. Also bear in mind that the cost of other material (brushes, painter’s tape, etc.) will be an additional cost. It is recommended to buy quality supplies since you’d want it to last through the entire process. Following the mentioned method will definitely help you reach a conclusion regarding an estimate for your home.

(Note: Prices may vary depending on location and job type.)

Now that you have a rough idea regarding paint job estimates, go ahead with getting your car or house painted. Also make sure you ask for some kind of warranty regarding the same. Upon confirmation of all these aspects, there is practically no chance of your judgment and estimates going wrong.

No Comments

Two Tone Car Paint Ideas

The paint of a vehicle is primarily responsible for giving a vehicle its identity. Paint is also a measurement of newness of a car. Hence, many owners consider giving a fresh paint to their old cars to give them an instant makeover. Incidentally, a paint color also speaks volume about the nature of the car owner. For instance, a red car often indicates a sports loving, adventurous owner, whereas a blue car owner is more of a peaceful creature, while a black car indicates that the owner is someone not to be messed with! In that context, a custom colored car, with bold graphics represents the fun loving nature of the owner. On the other hand, a two tone colored car often captures your attention for its ability to stand out without making an overwhelming style statement. So, in case you wish to up the glamor quotient of your car, then you might benefit from the two tone car paint ideas given in this Buzzle article.

Two Tone Car Paint Ideas
In simple words, two tone car painting is a technique of painting your car in two distinct colors. The choice of two tone car paint colors is mostly influenced by an owner’s personal taste. Yet, there are a few guidelines on how to two tone a car. The general design involves painting the top two-thirds of the car in one color and the remainder in a solid neutral color. Some car owners may reverse the design and paint the bottom two-thirds in solid color and the top in neutral. Depending upon where and how the colors meet, two tone car painting can be categorized through the following techniques.
Hard Line Technique
This is the most basic design, in which a hard line divides the two paint colors. Vehicles with a distinct body line can make use of this design, as it is possible to paint different colors on either side of the body line. There are numerous ideas for painting your car with two colors on each side of the body line. You can combine a solid color such as red, electric blue, forest green, etc., with another subdued color such as silver, tan, black, white, etc. On the other hand, you can also use the different tones of a same color for a less dramatic effect. For painting a car using this technique, it is preferable to leave a space of at least 4-5 inches on either side of the body line. The space where the two colors meet can be pin striped or painted in an altogether different color.
Subdued Look
This is similar to hard line, only that there is no distinct portion where the two colors meet. You can create a body line and paint the car in two different colors on either side of the body line. The colors are then blended with each other such that there is no distinct meeting place for the two colors. Thus, you cannot tell where one color ends and where the other begins. This is a nice way to give a more natural and subdued look to a car. If both the colors are different tones of the same color or are dull, then you can use a third, brighter color to create a fuzzy patch between the two colors.
Pearl Effect
This technique is different from the two mentioned above and often creates brilliant results. In this technique, you give a special pearl paint coat on the existing base coat of the car. The result is, you see a brilliant sheen of a different color on the existing color, when viewed in light. For instance, if your car’s body color is silver, you can spray a coat of purple pearl color on it to produce a magnificent purple sheen on the silver surface. This way, you can use any combination of colors that you want. However, to make your work really stand out, use an uncommon color for the base coat.

How to do a Two Tone Paint Job on a Car?
You can get a two tone paint job done at any custom auto shop. The cost of two toning a car is far less than other custom car painting jobs such as graphics, etc. However, if you insist upon doing it on your own, then be assured that you are in for some serious stuff. Although, this is not a laborious job, it requires a certain amount of skill and knowledge. The area around the body line, where the two colors meet can be especially tedious to paint. You will need to use a special tape (such as 3M Fine Line blue or green) to cover this area while you are airbrushing the two colors. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet, so that there are no elevated edges. It is recommended that you paint the lighter tone first and then proceed to the deeper one.

Thus, two tone car painting is indeed a great idea to revamp the look of your car. If you decide to do it yourself, and you know the tricks of trade, then this can turn out to be a piece of art, something you can be proud of!

No Comments